Return of a Traitor
by RebeccaRoy
Summary: I was a in dark mood and came up with this. This is how Voldemort deals with a certain traitor and it is not exactly how one would think it would go…


_Disclaimer:_

_I do not own the characters of Harry Potter, these belong to that wonderful author JK Rowling and the various publishing companies used to publish her works. I am however borrowing them, no not to make money but for fun and fun only. :)_

_Summary:_

_I was a in dark mood and came up with this. This is how Voldemort deals with a certain traitor and it is not exactly how one would think it would go…_

Kind and benevolent were words you did not dare call him ever, not unless you wanted to get hit with a _Crucio_ curse or killed outright, depending on his mood. However Lord Voldemort had a real problem, and that problem was kneeling before him resigned to his fate. The problem had been part of his inner circle before the _brat-who-lived_ had some how managed to take him down as an infant. Now the problem had come back to accept his fate and that was what was bothering him, he should be enjoying the fact he could do what ever he wanted to this man, yet he was impressed at his bravery. He knew coming back would insure a fate worse than death, knew it deep in his bones yet he came nonetheless.

Voldemort had listened to the suggestions of what to do with the wizard before them and found some….quite creative. Wormtail was the most useless, he said that they could keep him alive for as long as they wished while they tore him to pieces joint by joint, piece by piece until there was little left of him at all. Voldemort held back on torturing him, after all he had not done extensive research on how to bind a person's soul unwilling to their body so he could torture them? It wasn't possible, he had tried several experiments and all had failed. Besides he knew his inner circle no matter how battle hardened would not wish to do that kind of deed themselves. It was why he had carefully chosen them, barbarity never served a dark lord well with his most inner circle, most times a dark lord would find himself dead at the hands of those kinds of close servants.

"Wormtail your stupidity astounds me." Voldemort said coldly. "There is no spell that can bind a being to his body by force I should know if there was a way, there is not. You do know the elemental rules of magic do you not Wormtail?"

"Y-yes master." Wormtail said groveling and sniveling before Voldemort.

"You know you are worthless." Severus Snape said from where he stood glaring down at the pitiful form of Wormtail. "The dark lord is gracious to even allow you here!"

"Peace Severus, now as for you." Voldemort said getting to his feet and circling the death eater on his knees before him. "What should we do with you?"

"I know I deserve no mercy master and I have not come for any." Karkaroff said quietly. "I only came to give you news of all I have done these past years and then accept any punishment you see fit."

Voldemort looked down at Karkaroff with his red eyes glowing under the hood of his black cloak. Karkaroff was no dummy, he knew if he ran he would suffer far more for it than if he came forward now. Besides he did believe in Voldemort, he knew his mistake when he had felt the mark burn and knew despite his terror he was going back. He would not die a coward, no not he, he believed in Voldemort and knew he deserved to die. Was he scared? Oh yes he was and Voldemort drank in the fear like a heady wine. He would kill Karkaroff but the question now was how, the fate he had planned for him was not really needed now the wizard was here. He had been brave enough to come knowing he would die. Voldemort did not show it but he was impressed.

"You will die, I promise you that." Voldemort said coldly.

"Yes master, do as you wish." Karkaroff said quietly doing his best not to tremble in fear at what was to happen to him now. "I deserve the worst possible fate."

"Yes, you turned over one of my best to the ministry." Voldemort said coldly.

"I was weak, scared but that does n-not excuse my actions." Karkaroff said looking up his face ashen. "I wish to make up in part for that, all I know is yours."

"It would be anyway." Voldemort said coldly. "I can take what I want, you know this."

"I know master, but I wish to give it to you I know I will die but I do not wish to die the coward I have been." Karkaroff said and it was clear why he had been chosen, his words were eloquent, with little trace of an accent here among his betters as he saw it now. "I cannot live with what I have done…"

"Now I came back?" Voldemort said coldly.

"Yes, you have done what no other could, and I, I betrayed you of all people!" Karkaroff said bowing his head. "I deserve the worst punishment."

"Take him away." Voldemort said coldly and when his death eaters did not move fast enough. "Do as I say or face my wrath, do nothing to him, I will deal with any punishment! Severus you will stay!"

The other death eaters drug Karkaroff away giving furtive looks to Snape. He did not return their looks but knelt before Voldemort and stayed there until he was ordered to stand. He was in but barely and if Karkaroff suspected he was not loyal that could be the end of him. He would have just enough time if he were caught to use the muggle way of quick suicide, that of a glass Cyanide capsule he kept carefully hidden in his mouth before each and every meeting. There was no way in hell that he would be tortured to death, he planned on dying on his own terms and was no fool. If he were found out, without this method in place he would be tortured slowly to death over months and that simply would not happen. If by some chance he survived he knew he would be a battered wreck and simply refused to live that way.

"You saw him in school this last year did you not?" Voldemort said to Severus.

"Yes master, he disgusts me." Severus said scowling. "He is a pervert master."

"Ah yes, and he teaches children." Voldemort said softly, "but there are protects surly at even Durmstrang?"

"Every magical school master, I would not trust him." Snape replied.

"Because of what he could say about you?" Voldemort asked softly.

"No, because he is a liar and thief and has no honor!"

"Yet he came here, none did bring him but my mark." Voldemort said walking from Snape to get a goblet of wine. "What do you think if that?"

"He did not act as if he wanted to come back when the mark started to burn, I did master, you know this." Severus said quietly looking Voldemort in the eye. "I would have sot you out years ago but you know the trace placed on me."

"Yes, very smart of the headmaster, he does not fully trust you."

"He trusts me, it was part of the deal that kept me out of Azkaban." Severus said softly knowing he tread on thin ground, any slip up now and he was dead. "The other part was to teach the brats at Hogwarts. At least I am head of Slytherin that really is the only bonus to the job."

"Yes Slughorn was weak, a fool." Voldemort said softly. "But you, no you never were. As for Igor, what should be done with him?"

"Veritaserum master, you could use that." Severus replied (he took the antidote but he was not about to tell Voldemort there was one) coolly.

"Yes I could test it on you to see if it worked." Voldemort said.

"I have nothing to hide from you master."

"We will see."

"Yes master."

Voldemort carried out his threat and satisfied for once Severus was truly on his side he went to interrogate his prisoner. He found him more than willing to be of help and Voldemort was surprised at the ease with which he took the potion. Voldemort then interrogated him for hours, making sure to add more of the Veritaserum as needed. Finally satisfied he had everything that Karkaroff knew he left him alone to decide his fate. It had to be grand but not too violent, after all the wizard had come back, he had come back and not asked for mercy but he accepted his fate. He already freely admitted his guilt, yet the only reason he came back was he did not wish to be branded a coward, that was all there was to it Voldemort realized.

In the end he decided a grand death was not for Karkaroff at all. No, he expected it and wished it but to give him that would in a way reward him. Voldemort brought the traitor before him and his inner circle and made him kneel. He could feel the loathing the wizards and witches had of this man here. He could feel their fear of him too and he looked at his black cloaked and robed servants their masks hiding their faces. Not that it was needed much any more, they all knew who the other was but it was custom, and his customs would be followed no matter what.

"Igor has been most helpful." Voldemort said walking around Karkaroff. "Yes most helpful, he came back, he knew he would die you know why he came back? Why don't you tell them Igor."

"I wanted to make amends for my betrayal if I could."

"You have, but still you wish more from me!" Voldemort said coldly.

"No master."

"You lie!" Voldemort said and in frustration he turned to Snape "you were his friend and brought him to me!"

"I am sorry master." Snape said knowing what was coming.

"_Crucio!_" Voldemort shouted.

Snape fell to his knees and cried out in agony, he hated this part of the game he played with Voldemort. He allowed the torture, he always had his way out and before the pain became too much Voldemort took it off. Severus rose from the ground and brushed off his robes and stood in the circle making sure his thoughts were of fear and humility to Voldemort. Karkaroff was weak, he had broken and got caught and now he would pay with his life. Snape was glad, he hated the man, and wished Voldemort would let him torture him. It was not to be, Voldemort stepped up to the wizard and said two words, there was a flash of green light and Karkaroff fell dead to the ground.

"Get him out of here, but do not bury him, make sure he is found." Voldemort said then as an after thought, "do as you wish with the body."

Two weeks later the rotting corpse of Karkaroff was found in a shack that could barely be called a house. What was odd and sent chills down the spines of the Aurors was the look on his face, it was not of fear but of shame and disappointment. His corpse was untouched by human hands or spells but for one, as if those who brought him here wished not to touch him or hex him. It was strange and scared most more than anything else, it was unpredictable, the way the body lay unmolested or tortured. He had died a simple death and in that act Voldemort had his revenge.

End


End file.
